Improvement in lawn-mowers



UNITED STATES AMARIAH M. HILLS, or HCCKANCM, CC'NNIECrrCUr;

IMPROVEMENT lid LAWN'HMOWERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 239802'9 dated January28, w68.

To all whom 'it may concern;

Be it known that I, AMARIAHM.HILLS,O Hooke-num, in the county ofHartford and State ot' Connecticut, have invented a new and ImprovedLawn-Mower; and that the following description, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, herein-after referred lto, forms a full andexact speeication of the same, wherein I have set forth the nature andprinciples of my said improvementsby which my invention ,may bedistinguished freni all others of a similar class, together with suchparts as I claim and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent.

This invention relates to a new and improved device for mowing grass byhand, and is more especially designed for mowing lawns.

The invention consists in a novel manner of constructing the frame ofthe machine and mounting it on a roller, whereby the latter is made tohave suicient traction to drive in the most eflcient manner the cuttingdevice..

The invention also consists in a novel man ner ot' applying the handleto the france ci the machine, whereby'thc letter may he pushed along hythe operator without at; allv .ai'ecting the equilibrium of the machineon its roller.

The invention also consists in a novel and improved cutting device,which may be constrncted at a very small cost, and still be strong anddurable, and not liable to spring during the operation ot' cutting.

The invention further consists in a peculiar application of shoes to thedevice, whereby theheight of-theent may be regulated as desired.

In the accompanying sheet ot' drawings,

Figure 1 is a side sectional view ot' my invention, taken'in the lille:v w, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, va plan or top view ot' the same; Fig. 3, a sideview of one ot' the shoes pertaining tothe same, and a portion ot' theframing to which the shoe is attached.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parte. The frame ot' themachine is composed of two side pieces, B B, connected at their innerends hy a cross-bar, C, and connected near their outer ends by a xedcutterdcar, D, which may he of wrought or cast iron faced with steel atits upper surface. At the center of vthetraint-f"tl-1ere is a shaft, n,the side pieces B 3B serving as' the hearings thereof. "ill-iis sha-itisallowed to turn freely in its bearings., alidit has a roller, E, ttedloosely upon it. The shaft o has a ratchet-wheel, F, keyed firmly uponit. into which apawl, G, attached to oneend-ot the roller catches, and'causes the shaft to turn with the roller whenthe machine is shovedforward, the shaft not being turned when the machine is drawn backward.0n the shaft c there is toothed wheel, H, which gears into a pinion, l,on oncend ot' a shaft, J, and on said shaft, near the opposite end,there is keyed a toothed wheel, K, which gears into a` pinion, L, on oneot' the journals b ot the cutter lid. This cutter is otcast-iron, andhas two or more spiral blades', c. Two blades are represented in thedrawing, and that nnmoer willl prol'iahly be sncient. This spiral-bladedcutter, when the machine is shoved forward, has a rotaryv motioncommunicated to it from the roller E through the medium of the gearingdescribed, and the blades c are designed to work over the edge oi'thedsed emitter-'barI il), as will loe fully nrnersttnsdv by referringto Fig. l. To the front end ct'each side piece B there is attached ashoe, N. x These shoes are rounded up at each end, as shown at d d, andat the centers ot the shoes there are'vertical portions 0, which have.oblong slots c in them, through which screws P pass into the side piecesBB, as shown clearly iu Fig` 3. This mode of attaching the shoes to theside pieces admits otv them being adjusted se that the xed cutter D maybe at a greater or less distance above the surface of the lground,according to the height of cut required.

Q represents a bail-shaped rod, the ends of which are curved or bentinward -or toward each other, to forni jonrnalsff, which are dtted inholes in the side piecesB B of the fraining, alittle behind the ends ofthe roller'shaft et. This rod is provided at its 'center with n socket,R, to receive a wooden handle, S.

As the machine is shoved alo'ng the cutter M, as it rotates, cuts thegrass, the edges 'of the blades c, cutter-bar D, severingit. Thejournals ff of the bail-shaped rod Q are allowed to work freely in theside pieces B B, so that in pushing the machine along said rod will notinterpernianently keyed e,

as they pass over the edge ofthe erepm einem with the equilibrium geen@.freine on the eheof roller E.

furnished. at e small cost, and there ere noperte -lieble to get out ofrepair or hee'oi'ne 'rie'- ranged by use.

H evng thus described. my invention, I eieine es new and Vdesire toeeciire by Letters Patentv i. The balanced frame on the roler E,provigieri with the tixe eutteroer E, in combina ytion Withtheheil-shaped ro Q, to which the hele is' eeeure, alii constructed and er-,eer

ranged'substantielly es and for the purpose set forth.

2. The horizont-al cutter M, having the spiral flanges c c, whenadjustably hung in the slotted uprightO .npon the coveredshoe N, and infront ot' the cutter D, all constructed as described, for the purposespecified.

3. The combination of the frame, roller, cutting device, and the handleattachment, all constructed emi arranged to, operate in the meneersubstantially es and for the purpose set forth.

-Tiie above inpeeitieetoni of my invention signed by me this 15th dey ofJuly, 1867.

A. M.,HILLS.

Witnesses:

WM. F. MoNAzmA, J. A. SERVICE.

